1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to brake apparatuses for two-wheeled vehicles and, more particularly, to a brake apparatus for two-wheeled vehicles used in an antilock brake system (ABS) that brakes front and rear wheels without letting the wheels lock up.
2. Description of Background Art
An example of a known brake apparatus for two-wheeled vehicles includes a front wheel modulator disposed forward of a handlebar and a rear wheel modulator disposed forward of a rear wheel (see, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. Hei 5-105174.)
The known art disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. Hei 5-105174, however, has the following problems.
The first problem is as follows. Relative to a weight of the entire two-wheeled vehicle, the front wheel modulator that is relatively heavy in weight is disposed forward of the handlebar and the rear wheel modulator that is again relatively heavy in weight is disposed forward of the rear wheel. Each of the front and rear wheel modulators is therefore away from the position of a center of gravity of a vehicle body. As a result, maneuverability of the vehicle is degraded because of dispersed heavy items.
The second problem is as follows. Each of the front and rear wheel modulators has an internal mechanism thereof exposed to an outside. There is therefore a concern over thermal effect of an engine particularly on the front wheel modulator. This makes it necessary to prepare a modulator that offers outstanding heat resistance.
The third problem is as follows. The two modulators are disposed away from each other at front and rear. A control unit connected electrically to each of these modulators naturally has a long wiring harness. This results in an increased cost and poor maintainability.